1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for rapid manufacturing sealed multi-pane insulating glass windows for immediate installation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Insulating sealed glass windows contain two or more panes of glass separated by a spacer near the periphery to create a gas or vacuum containing volume between the panes of glass to reduce heat transfer through the panes. The volume, when sealed, reduces heat transfer and provides sound insulation between the outer layers of glass. The spacers providing the volume between the panes are normally sealed to the glass with adhesive or sealant. The spacer may have the adhesive or sealant integral as part of the spacer. After the adhesive or sealant is activated by various methods, described below, the spacers and volume are sealed to prevent moisture from entering into the volume or the volume filled with inert gas to achieve improved insulating properties and then sealed. Normal procedures for filling with inert gas use a vacuum to remove the air prior to inserting inert gas.
If the sealant is not fully activated, early failure may result in the seal during environmental temperature extremes. The manufacturing process usually involves using combinations of heat, radiation, compression, vacuum or moisture, and ambient air cooling, all needing time from a few hours to days to complete the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,730 uses a sealant partially activated by radiation and later completed at a selected time interval. U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,217 uses a resilient spacer with pressure sensitive adhesive or sealant and a second outer sealant. U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,344 uses an ultraviolet light curable adhesive or sealant on the spacer and a second outer seal applied after the initial cure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,448 uses pressure of special gases between 10.sup.-3 and 200 torr pressures between panes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,8704 assembles a plurality of spaced glass units using pressure and no heat to mass produce products. U.S. patent uses conveyers carrying glass units and infrared heating to seal the units. The patent instructs heating methods to activate sealant and no teaching expressed for cooling after processing or a need for fast processing or installation at construction cites. U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,693 uses special gas mixtures to control radiation between panes of glass. U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,105 uses metal spacers with electrostatic bonding the spacer to glass units. U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,663 uses cycles of heating and ambient air cooling to cure sealant and is time consuming.
There is a need for rapid manufacturing custom sized windows to immediately replace broken windows due to vandalism, weather, or accidents for security, health, and safety needs. This is especially vital in colder weather. This invention provides various sized windows with a rapid process that may be accomplished in minutes rather than hours in mobile units or in a factory for immediate shipment and installation. None of the above patents is concerned with reducing the time from ordering replacement windows to installation. None of the patents teaches techniques to cool the sealant after activation to reduce manufacturing time. None of the above patents teaches using inert gas added for insulation to cool the sealant and decrease the window manufacturing time. When gasses other than air are used in the present invention assembly, the compressed gas is released inside the volume that cools and displaces the warm air, eliminating the need for vacuum as stated in the prior art to remove the air prior to inserting inert gas.